Radha Krishna Choudhary


Professor Radha Krishna Choudhary was an Indian historian, thinker, and writer. He contributed to the historical and archaeological studies of Bihar as well as to Maithili literature. He published numerous original researches on the history of Bihar and was acclaimed as a researcher. He was a professor at Ganesh Dutt College, Begusarai, Bihar and was a noted educationist. His languages of choice for academic works were Hindi and English, and for literary work was Maithili.

Early life and education

Radha Krishna Choudhary was born on 15 February 1921 in Begusarai, Bihar.He completed his Bachelor of Arts in History at Tej Narayan Banaili College, Bhagalpur, and went on to earn a Master of Arts in History from Patna University.

Academic career

Choudhary began his teaching career in July 1946 as a lecturer in History at Ganesh Dutt College, Begusarai. A year later, in 1947, he established the Kashi Prasad Jaiswal Archaeological Museum at the college to preserve the scattered archaeological remains of the Begusarai region and to support the educational needs of the Department of History. He rose to become Head of the Department of History, and served as vice-principal and acting principal of the college for over twenty-two years.
In the early 1960s, Choudhary was appointed Principal of Shankar Sah Vikramshila Mahavidyalaya in Kahalgaon, a post he held for approximately three years. In March 1974, he joined the postgraduate Department of History at Bhagalpur University, where he continued to teach until his retirement in 1984.

Research and contributions

Choudhary's scholarship spanned the social, cultural, and political history of Bihar, with a special focus on the Mithila region. He was among the first historians to incorporate regional folklore into formal historical analysis, thereby reshaping understandings of Mithila's past.
He conducted extensive fieldwork uncovering rare inscriptions and coins from the Pala period, notably at Jayamangala Garh and Naulagarh sites, bringing to light Bihar's archaeological significance. He published his findings regularly in the G. D. College Research Bulletin Series, earning commendation from scholars such as Joseph Campbell and A. S. Altekar for his rigorous methodology and archaeological insights.
Among his notable research outputs was a paper on law and justice in ancient India, later expanded into four editions and published as a monograph in 1953.

Affiliations and recognition

In March 1967, Choudhary was elected to the Advisory Board for Maithili at the Sahitya Akademi, reflecting his contributions to Maithili literature and language studies. He was also a member of the Indian History Congress, All India Oriental Conference, and the Bihar Research Society, where he collaborated on projects aimed at reconstructing Bihar's political and cultural heritage.

Personal life and death

Little is documented about Choudhary's personal life beyond his scholarly pursuits. After retiring from Bhagalpur University in 1984, he relocated to Deoghar to work on a “Corpus of Bihar Inscriptions” funded by the University Grants Commission. He died suddenly of cardiac arrest on 15 March 1985.

Major works

  • Political History of Japan . Bihar Publishers, Patna. 1948. English.
  • Maithili Sahityik Nibandhavali. Abhinav Granthagar, Patna. 1950. Maithili.
  • Sidhharth. Abhinav Granthagar, Patna. 2 ed. 1952. Hindi.
  • Studies in Ancient Indian Law. Motilal Banarsidas, Patna.1953. English.
  • . Sidharth Press, Patna. 1956. English.
  • . Motilal Banarsidas, Patna. 1958. English.
  • . Smt Shanti Devi. 1958. English.
  • Mithilak Sankshipt Rajnaitik Itihas. Vaidehi Samiti, Darbhanga. 1961. Maithili.
  • Vratyas in Ancient India. Choukhamba Prakashan, Varanasi. 1964. English.
  • Prachin Bharat Ka Rajnaitik Evam Sanskritik Itihas . Bharati Bhavan Publishers, Patna. 1967. Hindi.
  • Sharaantidha. Maithili Prakashan, Calcutta. 1968. Maithili.
  • Vishva Itihas Ki Ruprekha. Ajanta Press Patna. 1969. Hindi.
  • History of Muslim Rule in Tirhut . Choukhamba Prakashan, Varanasi. 1970. English.
  • . Choukhamba Prakashan, Varanasi. 1971. English.
  • Dhammapada - Maithili Translation. Maithii Prakashan Samiti, Calcutta. 1971. Maithili
  • , Shruti Publications, Delhi, 2010, ISBN No.978-93-80538-36-5
  • Mithilak Itihas, Shruti Publication, Delhi, 2010, ISBN No.978-93-80538-28-0

    Biography

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